Green Ridge (District)
Green Ridge is one of the smaller, quieter communities in Val Royeaux. It’s lightly populated and heavily plant-laden, with many small parks, extensive gardens, open-earth squares and numerous corpses of trees scattered throughout the district. There are even numerous small farms, holdovers from the many sieges the city has suffered when growing food seemed a viable use of space. The pace of life is slower in Green Ridge and the relentless pursuit of money or political advantage much rarer. Indeed, natives from other sections of the city often refer to anyone seen as lazy or unambitious as a “Ridger”. This rarely bothers residents of Green Ridge, who are much more interested in seeking harmony with their neighbors than acquiring material wealth or power. Evergreen Park The largest park in Val Royeaux, Evergreen Park is locked in an eternal state of spring. Its flowers are always in bloom, its grass is always green and growing and its ponds never freeze over. The park is replete with secluded paths, small vending stands for drinks and light foods, mid-sized stages, copses of fruit-bearing trees and lush, grassy hills with small stone tables. In addition to visitors from all over the city, this park is the place where Evigail of House Wycomb is most likely to be found, as the green-haired priestess rarely goes anywhere else (and frequently misses District Council meetings as a result). Grand Holt The Grand Holt is a massive fig tree, its main trunk more than 20 feet in diameter, that supposedly predates the city of Val Royeaux. According to myth, when Emperor Aroden rested the first day after settling here, he took shade and nourishment from the Grand Holt. It has never been pruned and when it grows into homes or streets, the Grand Council simply pays to build new ones. It’s now a collection of 17 distinct trunks, intertwined and twisting about one another, with a floor of solid root that covers area the size of a city block. The tree is home to dozens of residents, mostly druidic cults, elves and gnomes. The Watchtower The only wall tower located in this section of the city, the Watchtower is the tallest tower in the city’s defenses, rising even higher than the Blue Tower. The Eagle Garrison is based here. They’re the smallest of the paid district guards and are among the few that have duties outside and inside the city. They act as Rangers and scouts for any operation occurring outside city walls. Watercleft Against the cliff face upon which the Petals District sits is Watercleft, a public speaking space and where the Shaded (the District Council) holds all of its meetings, making it the only council to hold all of its meetings publicly. The area is named for a spout of clear, pure water that bursts from the side of the cliff, an underground freshwater stream that pours into an aqueduct designed for it. It’s not unusual for bathers, water-carriers and frolicking natives to all mignle, making the area the social center for Green Ridge. The stream is carried from here to Evergreen Park and from there to smaller, private waterways throughout the district.